There is just something about a live Christmas tree that feels like Christmas to me. I won’t lie, I have considered (seriously) replacing a live tree with an artificial one. But we love the tradition of going to “get our tree” and the messiness and sometimes the stress of setting it up and then taking it down. So for now, we will continue with our live tree and enjoy its beauty and smells as part of our holiday season tradition.
The question then becomes, what to do with the tree when the time comes to get it out of the house? That is never our favorite part, but it has to be done. Get the vacuum ready! You may live in a community that offers tree pick-ups or a place to drop them off to be recycled. As a gardener, I like to find uses for my tree in my garden and here are 6 ways to do that:
1. Set up your tree outside and decorate it for the birds! Stand it up among other trees (for support) or leave it right in its stand. Make it a winter wonderland for the birds with suet and bird feeders. Or simply lay it on its side to create a cozy habitat for winter wildlife.
2. Use boughs for mulch. Cut the boughs off your tree (do this part outside - trust me on this!) and lay them around your beds. I use mine to add further protection to my most delicate plants and shrubs. They stay put through winter winds and break down through the winter. I remove anything leftover in the Spring.
3. Trees are biodegradable so if you have a compost pile, you can simply add it to your compost pile and let it break down. I recommend cutting it into smaller sections first and be sure ALL of the decorations are removed first.
4. Trees make great kindling and wood for burning. Cut it up and save the wood to use in your summer bonfires.
5. Pot risers: Cut the trunk up and save the pieces for your garden. Use to raise pots, create an edging or a cool garden feature.
6. Save those needles! If you want to enjoy the balsam smell of your fresh tree for a while longer, sweep up all the needles and create balsam sachets!
Try these ideas to extend and repurpose the life of your beautiful tree!